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Job scheme fails to attract workers: study

BHUBANESWAR: Despite the fact that Orissa, the poorest State of country, has a sizeable migrant labour force, the National Rural Employment Guaranty Act (NREGA) has failed to attract workers to seek jobs under the scheme.

In Orissa, only 13 per cent households, who have been issued job cards, have sought jobs in four months of this financial year, says the study, ‘NREGA, Opportunities and Challenges’, conducted by New Delhi-based voluntary organisation, Centre for Science Environment. The study report was released on Monday.

In 2006-07, 54 per cent of households demanded job and less than 6 per cent of those households demanded work for full 100 days, according to the report.

“This is a very low demand given that most of the states didn’t implement the NREGA during the monsoon period. State governments of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Jharkhand had stopped works under NREGA during June and July 2007 so that workers could take up agricultural activities prior to the onset of monsoon in these states,” says lead researcher of the study Richard Mahapatra. This means at the peak period of job scarcity, the NREGA couldn’t solicit response. The study also points out that the Orissa government has made inordinate delay in constituting State Employment Guarantee Council (SEGC).

“The Orissa government only recently notified formation of SEGC after more than one and half years after launch of NREGA. However, SEGC is yet to be constituted,” Mr. Mahapatra says. Absence of council implies delays, slow progress and inefficient implementation of NREGA, he says.

NREGA implementation in Balangir, which is one of the most backward districts of the country, also receives a critical assessment in the study.

“Given these socio-economic characteristics of India’s backward districts, NREGA holds immense potential for their long-term development.

The ‘permissible works’ under the Act have the capacity to address the poorest districts’ key problems like land degradation and water scarcity,” Mr. Mahapatra says.

The lead researcher says forest cover in Balangir district has degraded by 40 square km since 2001. The district also suffers from water scarcity as well as is prone to drought. However, productive action under the scheme was missing in the first year of scheme’s implementation.

In 2006-07, no drought proofing works and micro irrigation works were taken up under the scheme while emphasis was given on rural connectivity, which was less productive than the formers, Mr. Mahapatra says.

However, effective implementation of NREGA in Bhuanpada village of Madhekela gram panchayat in the district was well recognised in the study.

“Effective planning secured the villagers the required water harvesting and ensure water availability for their crops during the dry months.

The village needs were highlighted during the consultation process and their priority has been set accordingly,” the study says.

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